Importance of Providing Additional Support to the Prisoners, Prison Management - Research Paper Example

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT The view that a prisoner must be able to leave the prison in an improved state than he / she arrived in is enshrined in the Prison Service Statement of Purpose which contends that: “Her Majesty's Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them lead law-abiding and useful lives in custody and after release” (HM Prison Service, 2009). The role of prisons has evolved significantly in recent times, from a place where violators of law were held and punished to one where they are sought to be reformed prior to being released into the public sphere. The society today, acknowledges the relevance and importance of providing additional support not only to the prisoners but to those in charge of managing it as well, with a view to serve the society in a much better manner. The rate of crime has increased drastically over the years and in the absence of a comprehensive professional and continuous learning and development program, that seeks to enhance the lives of the citizens as a whole, curbing crime and ensuring a safe neighborhood is inconceivable. Statistics reveal that approximately two thirds of the prisons in England and Wales are stuffed with inmates well beyond their actual capacity. According to the Howard League for Penal Reform, approximately 52, 500 prisoners are stuffed in jails which are over crowded, similarly in HMP Preston, 661 prisoners are forced to live in a jail which has a capacity of holding 356 inmates, the worst case by far. (BBC News, 2009). Such staggering statistics call for immediate reformative measures which involve proactive policies to keep people out of jails. This however, can be achieved only through the adoption and implementation of a wide-ranging program that focuses on providing adequate training to those in charge, i.e., the prison officers who are entrusted with the responsibility of providing security, supervising, offering training as well as rehabilitating the offenders through motivation and encouragement. Preventing prisoners from reoffending is one of the key objectives of any criminal justice system. Although punishing the offenders for their crimes, is the most widely accepted tools of justice, punishment alone cannot and does not guarantee a safe and healthy society. In order to create a harmonious environment and safeguard the interests of the general public, it must be ensured that the offenders abstain from indulging in any criminal activities. In line with such a belief, the Government in UK has identified the need to assess and investigate the causes behind the crimes and seek to implement proper measures to help the convicts in becoming responsible and productive members of the society. For instance, recent initiatives undertaken by the government such as the Criminal Justice Act 2003 which aims at assisting the judges as well as the prisons in protecting the public and at the same time keeping the criminals from indulging in repetitive criminal behavior; the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) which is aimed at ensuring an enhanced method of managing the punishments meted out to the offenders; or the Offender Learning and Skills Service alternatively referred to as OLASS, which is aimed at providing effective education and training (HM Government, 2005). However, these measures cannot be implemented successfully unless the prison officers are offered adequate and appropriate professional training to accomplish the tasks entrusted to them. At present, the skills required of a frontline prison officer involves good communication skills which may enable them to communicate effectively with their colleagues as well as the prisoners, ability to understand the background of the offenders so that they may be able to take adequate steps in preventing him/her from repetitive criminal behavior, the strength as well as capability of working under pressure, etc. The role of the prison officer hence has broadened in the recent years, thus making it all the more vital for imparting adequate training and development to them. “Research suggests that individual officers can be crucial in influencing whether a prisoner goes on to re-offend or is released to lead a law-abiding life. In addition, good staff-prisoner relations can reduce deaths in custody and prison unrest”. (Parliament.uk, 2009) Carlson et al (2005, Pp. 178) are of the view that one of the greatest limitations of several organizations in present times can be attributed to their complete failure in effectively and completely exploiting the strength and / or talent of the individuals employed by them. Several organizations take it for granted that their personnel would eventually acquire the skills needed to effectively perform their duties and assume leadership through course of time, which might be true to a certain extent, but is indeed a risky approach, full of uncertainties and failures. Hence, in order to avoid ambiguities and help the organizations realize their set objectives, a much better approach would be “mentoring” or continuing development programs, which are designed to develop and improve the talents within an organization. The terms professional development, continuing education and in-service training have been often used extensively and interchangeably, however they all refer to the development of knowledge, skills, and achieving professionalism in executing one's duties through systematic training. Differing views exist regarding the significance and relevance of providing training and development activities to the employees to hone their skills. While authors such as Carlson and Garrett (2005, pp. 178) have stated their views on the importance of on the job training several authors have developed exquisite models with contrasting opinion regarding the concept, which define and describe the requirements of an on the job training program. For instance, the Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) model of skill acquisition suggests that “training although initially important for deliberative action, is of secondary importance to learning by experience” (Leberman et al,2006, Pp.41) They believe that the progression from a beginner / entry level employee to a skilled / proficient one is ascertained by the level of perception, insight and deep implicit understanding acquired on the job, as opposed to the strict premeditated application of taught rules. Schon (1983) on the other hand, severely critiqued the rational - technicist point of view and dismissed it as being too straightforward and not relating to practice. Thus he proposed his own model, which was widely based on the alternative approach, i.e. the reflective practioner. This model suggested that the work of a professional is based on creativity and hence s/he must be creative in the manner they address professional issues and concerns, so that when they encounter professional issues on-the-job, they may be able to resolve them by combining both their learned skills as well as past experience. The significance of imparting adequate training and encouraging professional development of the prison officers was highlighted by the House of Commons, Education and Skills Committee. The report stated that in order for the government to ensure the effective accomplishments of the goals and visions of its organizations, it is essential to recognize and acknowledge the significance of the roles played by the prison officers. Education, hence, is a worthy investment, which will enable the officers to undertake the kind of behavior and activities required of them, to assist the prisoners and reduce reoffending rates. According to Professor Augustin John: “the conditions have got to be created wherein prison staff could have an investment made in them so that they could acquire the capacity to assist offenders and aid the rehabilitation process - so that, while they may not have expertise in particular areas of education provision or delivery, they should have some general competencies in terms of facilitating people's development" (House of Commons Report, Pp. 81) At present, the new entrant prison officers in UK are required to undergo an eight-week training referred to as the POELT (Prison Officer Entry Level Training) prior to commencing their duty. This training schedule is designed to familiarize the newly recruited officers with their actual job. They are taught all the necessary skills required of them, and include an intensive combination of both theoretical or classroom based training as well as practical training, which concludes with a written examination (Prison Officer.org, 2009). During the course of such training the trainee officers are taught practical skills such as performing security checks, supervising the prisoners, ensuring proper implementation of law and order, assisting, advising or escorting prisoners; providing counseling to prisoners with severe mental health issues; as well as offering care and support. Apart from the acquired skills, the trainee officers must also possess strong interpersonal skills which may help them in assisting the prisoners. This includes assertiveness, strong motivational skills, an acute sense of responsibility, commitment towards their jobs, as well as an ability to be a team player. Thus, although the government has taken all necessary steps possible to ensure that the prison officers are well equipped to deal with the requirements of their jobs, there are often severe setbacks which are debated time and again. The training period for instance, is one such area which has been severely criticized. The report further claims that the initial training period of eight weeks for prison officers is completely insufficient and hence must be increased to such a level that it enables the prison staff to play a vital role in assisting and educating the prisoners. Contradictory opinions exist, not only on the issue of whether or not training is a viable option to enhance employee skills and help them perform better, but also on the duration of the same. According to report presented by the Committee of Education and Skills (parliament.uk, 2009): “The initial period of 8 weeks for prison officers is totally inadequate. The Government must encourage the development of prison officers if prison staff are to be expected to encourage the development of prisoners. The initial training period must be significantly increased to a level that reflects an appropriate investment to enable prison officers to play a key role in the education and training of prisoners. Furthermore, prison officers should have an equivalent entitlement to training and development once they are in post." The prison service is currently in an era of massive transformation. It is growing swiftly as it faces unparalleled surge in the number of prison inhabitants (which is growing at a rapid rate) and at the same time is under tremendous pressure to become more efficient, in terms of custodial as well as rehabilitative efforts, by effective adoption and implementation of appropriate programs such as the cost reduction program. In view of such facts, it can be safely claimed that management of prisons has become a daunting task and is becoming all the more complex and challenging, requiring adequate managerial skills, which in turn can be developed through implementation of a continuous professional learning and development programs. As a result, the progressive decentralization of responsibility with respect to service delivery and the organization of resources to execute such services have improved considerably. In the light of such drastic transformation, it is inevitable for the management or supervisory bodies to consider imparting training to its officers to equip them to deal with the constantly changing work structure (Wilson, 1999). Various organizations have readily welcomed and adapted to such incessant development or total quality philosophies which employ quality groups to deal with the operational evils and formulate and apply effective remedies. In order to deal with the dynamic work environment, organizations may create groups within its hierarchy and within each department, which are cross functional or discreet. Such groups are mostly created with an intention to address grave events or malfunctions within the organizational system. Several departments exist across organizations which display a severe need for professional training in order to better equip themselves to deal with the changing work environment. Appraisal systems must hence be put into practice whose sole purpose is to identify such areas and strive for continuous development through various means (Wilson, 1999). In view of the changing demands of the profession, several changes have been made, till date, with regard to the annual appraisal system pertaining to prisons. The Staff Performance and Development Record (SPDR) employ various such methods of staff appraisal. PSO 8450: The PSO (Prison Service Order) 8450: Performance Management is aimed at providing comprehensive guidelines regarding the staff performance management processes. The key objectives of such a performance management system is to plan, review and improve performance at the individual, team as well as organizational levels; ensure that the staff understands what is required of them and supervise the manner in which they contribute towards the delivery of the service vision; increase staff competencies so as to ensure effectiveness in their respective roles and ensure provision of necessary skills that can enable them to accomplish the desired organizational goals; encourage continuous development as well as recognize and address the significance of staff performance. PSO 8260: Custodial Care This section identifies the National Occupational Standards required to operate at prison officer level. The various proposed benefits intended to be derived from this program include: assisting in equipping the staff with all the essential proficiencies to function more flexibly and enhance the quality of service delivery; set up a culture of self-development and life long education which will support the capability of the Prison Service to compete, and create a repute as a centre of distinction and merit in the open market; develop the capability of the Prison Service to appeal to the labor market as an employer of choice, and in the process attract highly competent applicants who have the prospect for lucid, planned development, with the CCNVQ as the starting point (HM Prison Service, 2009). Investors in People: Prison Service The 'Investors in People' initiative is a national level strategy recently adopted by the Prison Service, and is designed for "organizations committed to improving business performance through their people". Organizations, who have adopted this initiative as a part of their organizational development strategy, are required to provide substantial evidence stating that the national standard requirements pertaining to the said policy are adequately satisfied. These standards include: a commitment to develop all employees to achieve its business objectives; regular interviews of the training needs and development of all employees; a commitment to the development of individuals throughout their employment and a commitment to evaluate the investment in training and development to assess achievement and improve future effectiveness (Crawley, 2004 Pp. 53). References: Primary Sources: BBC News, (2009). Prison Overcrowding at Crisis Point, [online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/2222022.stm [Accessed 27 August 2009] HM Government, (2005). Reducing Re-offending Through Skills and Employment, [online] Available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/offenderlearning/uploads/documents/green_paper_reducing_re-offending_through_skills_%20and_employment_final_version.pdf [Accessed: 27 August 2009] Parliament.uk (2009). The Role of the Prison Officer, [online] Available at: http://forums.parliament.uk/prison-officers/index.php?read,1,119 [Accessed: 27 August 2009] Prison officer.org (2009). Prison officer Entry Level Training Overview, [online] Available at: http://prisonofficer.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=450 [Accessed: 27 August 2009] HM Prison Service, (2009). Prison Service Order Number 8260 [online] Available at: http://pso.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSO_8260_CCNVQ_levels_2_and_3_sep07.doc. [Accessed: 29 August 2009] HM Prison Service, (2009). Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts – 2009, [online] Available at: http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/10003D1EHMPS_AR_appendices_2007-08.pdf [Accessed: 29 August 2009] Secondary Sources: Carlson, P. M., Garrett, J. S., (2005). Prison and Jail Administration: Practice and Theory, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Pp. 178 Crawley, E., (2004). Doing Prison Work: The Public and Private Lives of Prison Officers, Willan Publishing, Pp. 53 Leberman, S., McDonald, L., Doyle, S., (2006). The Transfer of Learning: Participant's Perspectives of Adult Education and Training, Gover Publishing Ltd., Pp. 41 Wilson, J. P., (1999). Human Resourcee Development: Learning & Training for Individuals & Organizations, Kogan Page Publishers, Pp. 123 Appendices: Appendix 1: Stakeholder Map Source: HM Prison Service, (2009). Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts – 2009, [online] Available at: http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/10003D1EHMPS_AR_appendices_2007-08.pdf [Accessed: 29 August 2009] Read More